The PS5 Slim is my favorite console. The pride and joy of my living room. A piece of tech I use nearly every day. Something that has brought me hours and hours of happiness. Granted, I was a little late to the next-gen console party as I only bought my PS5 Slim at the end of 2023 (I clung on to my PS4 until the very end), but it’s some of the best money I’ve ever spent.
Best gaming controllers
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I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing my favorite RPGs, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Baldur’s Gate 3 and Assassin’s Creed Shadows. But what good is a console without a great controller? I love the standard DualSense as it has rarely given me much to complain about, and I’ve often thought of grabbing a DualSense Edge.
First-party controllers aren’t everything, though, as I’ve found after testing the new Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded. Now I ask myself, “Why would you get the DualSense Edge if you can just get the new and improved Victrix?”
I’ve spent a few hours with the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded and I’ll be spending more before I write up my full review, but my first impressions are highly positive. The controller improves on its predecessor by adding Hall Effect thumbsticks and triggers, and with swappable modules and sticks, it has quickly become my go-to gamepad.
If you’re still wondering whether you should get the DualSense Edge, I’m here to throw a spanner in the works. Here are all the reasons why I think you should get the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded instead.
Analog sticks and triggers are soooo 2000
Hall Effect and TMR are all the rage today in the computing and gaming worlds. This technology basically makes controllers (and keyboards) more responsive, enabling pinpoint precision, and more durable as it negates the possibility of stick drift (we all hate stick drift, right?). Turtle Beach is no stranger to adding this tech to its controllers, and the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded is no different.
The Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded improves on its predecessor — the PDP Victrix Pro BFG — by introducing Hall Effect triggers and thumbsticks, designed to give you a competitive edge. I used the controller to play a bit of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (can you tell I’m a little obsessed?) and F1 22, and I noticed a big difference in my performance.
You see, the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded’s triggers have switches that can be toggled to one of five positions. For instance, you can enable Hair Trigger which turns the mechanism into a short, clicky press, or you can use the highest setting which requires you to push the trigger all the way down to activate — like on the DualSense.
In F1 22, I settled for a medium press to switch gears as I didn’t want my fingers to get too tired while turning tight corners in Monaco. In Expedition 33, I used Hair Trigger so that I could simply tap R2 to toggle Gradient Counter — after all, the key to winning battles in the game is parrying and countering on time.
There are also four back buttons on the controller which can be customized via companion software — or you can disable them so that you don’t accidentally hit them while in the heat of battle. They give the gamepad an ergonomic advantage as you can personalize them to suit your playstyle. I won’t lie, using my DualSense after the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded felt boring and fatiguing!
Easy-as-pie customization
What sets the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded apart from the DualSense Edge is the fact that it’s highly customizable — and I’m not talking about illegally modding it which voids the warranty. Full disclosure: this is the first time I’ve “modded” a controller — and it couldn’t have been easier. In the included case you’ll find everything you need to swap the Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded’s parts.
There’s a total of 11 interchangeable components: a six-button fightpad module with Kailh microswitches, a reversible D-pad and thumbstick left module, a swappable button and thumbstick right module, swappable thumbsticks and a pair of octagonal stick gates. Again, each offers a different playstyle so it’s worth experimenting to find the right fit for you.
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To swap the parts, you need to use the included screwdriver to unscrew the bolts and then pop your new part in. Easy-as-pie, really. It can be done in under two minutes. I’m not big into fighting games but I gave the fightpad module a spin by playing Mortal Kombat 11. Having six face buttons made quick work of most of the enemies I fought.
Because all the buttons are responsive and don’t take long to register commands, button mashing was a walk in the park. I’ve realized now that for fighting games, I much prefer an array of face buttons over triggers and shoulder buttons.
Looks that could kill?
Well, this one is subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say. Me? I love how the DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers look. Both look futuristic and sleek, and the rounded and contoured shape provides a natural fit in your hands. I’m a big fan of the two-tone color choice and translucent buttons too.
But I also really like how the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded looks. It’s available in either white or black, and both models sport subtle purple RGB lighting. To be honest, the PlayStation model feels like it has adopted the Xbox first-party controller’s chunkier grips — and I’m not complaining.
It’s the one thing I miss from the days I was an Xbox girlie (but don’t come at me for saying PlayStation is superior, please). The Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded weighs 9.3oz so it’s slightly lighter than the DualSense (9.8oz) but it never feels out of place in my hands, and that’s all thanks to the grips with their textured surface providing a sturdy hold. It’s the perfect second controller — or for me, my new primary controller (Player One gets priority, them’s the rules).
Looking ahead…
As is the nature of my job, I’ll be thoroughly testing the Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded and will cover my extensive findings in my full review, so keep an eye out for it. But as I said up top, the controller has made an outstanding first impression on me.
It looks great and is ergonomic, and its got the latest Hall Effect tech to back up its gaming prowess. I can’t wait to play more of my favorite games to try out how the interchangeable parts behave and whether they help improve my gameplay.
The Turtle Beach Victrix Pro BFG Reloaded is now available to pre-order for $209 in the U.S. with shipping expected in late-September, or £179 in the U.K. with shipping expected in late-August.
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